Steve Hawley

Press release:

“In a time of crisis, as we face issues related to our economy, public health, and public safety, we cannot keep rehashing the same tired ideas that have proven to be ineffective solutions to serious problems. While I appreciate the governor’s rhetoric in support of small businesses during a time when they and our residents are leaving the state in droves, we should be talking about meaningfully cutting taxes and easing regulations to enable their success in the long term. Of equal importance is our need to focus on restoring order to our increasingly dangerous streets, following the passage of bail reform.  

“Having served as assemblyman while Gov. Hochul served as our district’s congresswoman, it would be a pleasure to work together in earnest to make New York work for everyday New Yorkers once again. We must all come together to restore the authority of our local governments and judges.”

Press Release:

Last year was certainly one for the books, though the reasons 2021 was so notable aren’t necessarily worth celebrating. Our governor resigned in disgrace, more of the businesses we love in our communities shuttered, taxes increased, prices increased and we passed a budget that cost us more than ever. All while doing less than ever to actually help working families. Throughout, we have also continued to contend with a pandemic that has worn on our economy and the fortitude of New Yorkers across the state, as some in government yet again consider mandates and lockdowns that would assuredly take a tremendous toll on our collective recovery.

I say this not to elicit feelings of doom or gloom but out of a hope, that by recognizing the mistakes made in state government this year, we can work together to rectify them and put our state on a path toward growth. The circumstances we face have often been described as “unprecedented,” so given the challenges before us, I feel that we have an opportunity to work collaboratively to deliver solutions many in the Legislature haven’t given a fair shake in the past.

To put it simply, I believe that the best way of fostering prosperity here in New York state is to unleash the power of its people by staying out of the way of their success. By creating a business climate that will attract the brightest minds our nation has to offer, and that will retain the talents we have. More than anything, we need to give people a reason to believe New York’s brightest days are still ahead.

Perhaps, most important, we must also ensure that people feel safe living and starting families here. To do so we must give our law enforcement and judiciary the tools they need to protect our neighborhoods. The end of the decay of our villages, towns and cities will begin with the rescinding of our state’s dangerous bail reform laws. These changes have tied the hands of our judges and empowered criminal elements to act with impunity, knowing that they will be released back onto the streets, even if they’re apprehended. In 2022, we must collectively recognize that bail reform was a mistake and restore law and order throughout New York.

Here in New York we’ve tried raising taxes, we’ve tried heavy-handed mandates and we’ve tried various police “reforms,” all to the detriment of our state’s public safety and prosperity. If there was ever a time for a change to give New Yorkers a chance to chase their dreams and lift up their communities in the process, that time is now. This year, let’s give New Yorkers a chance to control their own destinies, put an end to one-size-fits-all mandates and empower individuals and local governments to do what’s best for their families and the municipalities they know and love. 

New Yorkers are the toughest and most industrious people in this entire country and they deserve a legal and economic climate that will allow them to unleash what they’re capable of onto the national and global marketplace. This year let’s make New York work for those who seek to better their lives and communities through hard work.
 

Assemblyman Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, Orleans and parts of Monroe County. For more information, please visit Assemblyman Hawley’s Official Website.

Press Relase from the office of Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“Haphazardly implementing a statewide mask mandate in the middle of the holiday season, a period many businesses rely on to make ends meet for the year, is entirely unnecessary and will only handicap our small businesses during a make-or-break time for their operations. Protecting public health is important, but decisions such as this should be left to the local health authorities that know better than anyone what’s really going on in their communities. I had hoped our new governor would take a more measured approach to keeping the pandemic at bay, but it is clear now more than ever that she will continue to rule our state from the top down, to the detriment of New York families and businesses alike.”

Assemblyman Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, Orleans and parts of Monroe County. For more information, please visit Assemblyman Hawley’s Official Website.

Press release:

“The actions described in the Assembly Judiciary’s report are unbefitting of any elected official, let alone the governor of New York state,” said Hawley. “I am thankful appropriate law enforcement agencies have been forwarded relevant materials from the investigation and  thank the Judiciary Committee for their dedicated, meticulous work putting together this report. Additionally, the witnesses and victims who came forward to share their stories are to be commended for their bravery in speaking up when facing threats of retaliation.”

Press release: 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is celebrating a new law (A.7685) signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul today that will give free college tuition to members of Gold Star families.

The signing came over two years after Hawley himself proposed a bill to provide gold star families with free tuition, though that bill (A.2991 of 2019) was blocked in the Higher Education Committee by the Assembly Majority and never brought to the floor for a vote.

“This legislation provides the opportunity to pursue higher education for the families whose loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our nation in the military. For 13 years I sought to get this legislation passed, so I am truly elated to finally see it become a reality,” said Hawley. “I thank the chair of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee Didi Barrett for her work ensuring the bill made it across the finish line.

“While I had hoped this law would come to fruition earlier to begin helping families more quickly, I am relieved that New York’s gold star families will soon be receiving much-deserved educational assistance,” Hawley concluded. 

Press release: 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is expressing deep concern after yesterday’s sudden announcement six prisons throughout the state would be ordered to close.

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced six of their facilities will close on March 10, 2022. The closures announced were Ogdensburg Correctional Facility, Moriah Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility, Southport Correctional Facility, Downstate Correctional Facility, Rochester Correctional Facility, and Willard Drug Treatment Campus. 

“The sudden announcement of prison closures throughout the state was disrespectful both to employees, who will now have mere months to either relocate or find new jobs, as well as the local governments and communities who will have to quickly plan for the consequences of these closures,” said Hawley. “With all that our corrections professionals have endured in recent times, including an increase in violent incidents against them in the midst of a pandemic, they deserve better than to have their lives, careers and communities upended so abruptly.”

While dismayed by the news of prison closures, Hawley was glad to see a bill he sponsored signed into law which prohibits the practice of ‘double-bunking’ in prisons. Hawley supported the legislation in order to protect the welfare of corrections officers, prison staff and those incarcerated.  

“Double-bunking has jeopardized the well-being of corrections professionals and inmates alike, along with the ability of prison staff to effectively supervise the activities of prisoners. My hope is that banning this practice will aid in reversing the ongoing trend of rising prison violence throughout the state and ensure safer conditions for all,” said Hawley. 

Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

The results of last Tuesday’s elections in our state and throughout the nation reflect a rejection of overreaching, burdensome policies that stifle economic growth and jeopardize public safety, and a desire for a return to kitchen-table governance. America is a nation of opportunity, and the anti-growth, tax-and-spend policies of the Majority are antithetical to the spirit of entrepreneurship that has made our nation the greatest on this planet. This year, Americans rejected socialism and voted for leaders who believe in hard work and the pursuit of the American Dream, in what I hope is just the beginning of a reclamation of our government by people who believe in our constitution, in our way of life and in our free markets.

Seeing voters soundly reject ballot measures 1, 3, and 4 was incredibly heartening, and an indication that the public has grown tired of political gamesmanship and one-party rule in state government. Our government at the state and federal levels was designed to be collaborative in its deliberations, with a minority party able to check the power of the majority, and these proposals threatened that delicate balance of power. By rejecting these proposals, voters chose a path forward for New York that preserves the voice of rural, upstate New York and maintains reasonable safeguards against our electoral and redistricting processes. 

What people want and expect from their government is simple; attention toward matters that jeopardize the well-being of themselves and their loved ones, and the protection of their right to lead their lives in their own way, follow their passions and provide for their family. By rallying against the law enforcement professionals who keep our communities safe, putting up obstacles to success in people’s careers and businesses, and implementing overreaching mandates that went too far in restricting their liberties, the Majority showed their priorities were not in line with those of the average working New Yorker. That is exactly why I will continue to do everything I can to stand up for our law enforcement, our liberties, and our ability to work hard and change the world through innovation. Our liberties and maintained public safety, which allows us to freely exercise them, are what make America the greatest nation on earth. It is my hope to see that as time passes, as a state and as a nation, we become even greater, freer, and safer than we’ve ever been before.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is kicking off a series of visits to local small businesses to commemorate National Women's Small Business Month, starting with a visit to Gilliana's Diner in Batavia. In the weeks to come, Hawley will be visiting other women-owned small businesses in the district throughout October.

Gilliana's Diner is a business opened by local resident Jill Antinore during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawley will be visiting the restaurant on Oct. 2 at 12:30 p.m. to honor Jill Antinore for her community-minded actions and perseverance in opening her business during a challenging period, all while looking out for her neighbors. They will also discuss her experience opening and operating her business, along with the challenges she and her staff have faced along the way.

“The dedication and generosity displayed by Jill Antinore in opening her business amid a pandemic is truly commendable, and her restaurant is the perfect place to start our celebration of National Women's Small Business Month,” said Hawley. “What she has done for the community, even while working to get her restaurant up and running, is truly astounding. I look forward to hearing from her firsthand about how she managed to do so much for so many people.”

Even as they opened their doors during tumultuous times, Jill and her husband worked through nights and early mornings to prepare meals to donate to the United Memorial Medical Center. Not stopping there, the business has continued its generous acts by donating 30 percent of all take-out dinner sales to benefit the Batavia Business & Professional Women's Club, as well as providing scholarships to local youth, and monetary awards to non-profit organizations engaged in bettering the community.

As Hawley continues with his series of visits to other businesses throughout National Women's Small Business Month, he will continue to highlight women-owned businesses that have overcome adversity, gone above and beyond to benefit their community, or have otherwise become famed fixtures within local areas. He will be announcing more of these visits to businesses in the near future.

“In a year that has been challenging for small businesses throughout the state, I am excited to use this opportunity to highlight the hard work and managerial prowess of women who own small businesses in our district,” said Hawley. “They have worked through a pandemic to continue serving their communities, all while adapting to rapidly changing laws and regulations, and that is something truly admirable.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he will be holding outreach office hours within his district during the months of October, November and December. During these outreach office hours, residents will have the opportunity to meet with members of his staff to discuss their concerns regarding state government and local issues. 

Genesee County office hours will be held at Genesee Community College in Room T124 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, Oct. 28, Nov. 18, Dec. 2, and Dec. 16. 

“I’m eager to use these outreach office hours as an opportunity to get input from constituents on issues they’d like to address who aren’t able to make it out to our main district office,” said Hawley. “With everything that has occurred within our government and in society at large throughout the last year, I look forward to hearing about the concerns of residents during these unprecedented times.”

If residents wish to schedule an appointment with Assemblyman Hawley personally, they can do so by calling his main office at 585-589-5780.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) expressed outrage today as the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers takes effect, forcing countless healthcare employees throughout the state to resign from their positions. Many of these healthcare workers have for months now been on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and have been left without recourse in the face of a mandate that does not permit regular testing of unvaccinated healthcare workers

“Taking jobs from healthcare workers who have been working harder than anybody to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is a slap in their face, and I am incensed by the governor’s willingness to cast aside a group of highly skilled people who have saved the lives of so many New Yorkers,” said Hawley. “The valuable experience these professionals have in fighting COVID-19 will be squandered, and the ones who will pay the price for this decision are those who need the highest quality of care possible to save their lives. I am vaccinated and would encourage anyone who wishes to be vaccinated to do so, but I also believe in personal choice, and with no option for unvaccinated healthcare workers to elect for frequent testing, this mandate will only harm our ability to help patients who need care most.”

 

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today expressed his relief as news broke that Health Commissioner Howard Zucker has resigned from his position, though his resignation will only take effect when Gov. Hochul puts forward his replacement. 

Hawley has been a frequent critic of Zucker and demanded his resignation on many occasions, deeply questioning the role Zucker may have played in the potential cover-up of the true number of fatalities that occurred in nursing homes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also spoke out against the mandates placed on small businesses and public institutions that restricted their operations.

“While I am of the opinion that firing Howard Zucker should have been one of the first things Gov. Hochul did after being sworn in, it is better to see him leave late than never,” said Hawley. “Zucker has mismanaged this pandemic since day one, and his highly questionable actions likely contributed to the personal and economic pain of countless people throughout our state. In managing our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to be smart about recognizing the realities people in the different, distinct regions of our state face in their personal lives and careers. A continuation of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to the pandemic, characterized by burdensome, widely-applied mandates, will only stifle our state’s recovery from the pandemic. It’s my hope Zucker’s successor takes a more balanced and reasonable approach with local control, so that it won’t have the same negative impact on our communities and small businesses as Zucker’s mandates.”

A City Council member’s request Monday night to add a “Divide New York” discussion to a future Conference Meeting agenda resulted in an admonition by Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. over her use of a certain word.

Toward the end of the governing body’s Business Meeting at City Hall Council Board Room, Rose Mary Christian brought up a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Steven Hawley that provides for a referendum on the question, Do you support the division of New York into two separate states?

“I think we have a right to bring this forth so people will be able to vote on it next year, and leave it up to every resident in the State of New York …,” Christian said.

The Sixth Ward representative then accused Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. of attempting to prevent it from being discussed.

“I don’t recall telling you that,” Jankowski replied, as Christian said, “Oh, yes you did.”

Jankowski then said he recalled telling her he didn’t think it was appropriate for City Council to weigh in on it.

“It is appropriate; it’s for local governments,” Christian said.

Jankowski agreed to put it on the agenda, adding, “That’s what I think we intended to do, but you never got back to us.”

“No, you didn’t,” Christian replied. “You might be able to bull---- these other people, but you’re not going to do it to me.”

That prompted Jankowski to say, “Will you please watch your language, Rose Mary? We’re on video and there might be some young child watching it.”

Seeking the last word, Christian said, “Oh, please. Give me a break – with the language that’s out there now. Are you serious?”

Jankowski then asked, “Are you done?”

To which Christian responded: “Will you please put that on for the next meeting? I’m done.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is joining his colleagues in the Assembly Minority calling on Governor Hochul and Health Commissioner Zucker to reverse the decision to mandate vaccination of healthcare workers. They argue that any public health benefit a mandate would provide would be outweighed by the detriment such a requirement would have on staffing levels within hospitals and health centers, as 20-25% of health workers within New York are unvaccinated. Hawley asserts that rather than implementing this mandate and potentially losing nearly a quarter of the state’s healthcare staff, an option for frequent and regular testing for unvaccinated people should be offered and access to effective PPE such as N95 masks should be increased.

Hawley is also concerned about how the mandate will affect people who either cannot be vaccinated due to their medical circumstances, and those who work remotely like coders and transcriptionists who do not come into contact with patients.

“Losing even a fraction of our medical personnel in this time of need would have a catastrophic effect on our efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and to think we could lose a quarter or a fifth of our already-overburdened healthcare workers is incredibly troubling,” said Hawley. “We need to be pragmatic about how we fight this virus, and while I encourage anyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine and believe it’s safe and effective, forcing nurses, doctors, and other health staff who have worked tirelessly throughout these last many months to choose between taking a vaccine or losing their jobs is not going to convince any skeptics that efforts to increase vaccine rates are well-intended.”

Press release: 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is saddened to announce that his annual Patriot Trip in which he brings veterans to landmarks and historical sites throughout the Washington, D.C. area will be canceled this year due to concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19, especially as new variant cases in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals continue to increase. All participants who have signed up for the trip will be fully refunded for anything paid toward it.

“Having to cancel a trip that means so much to veterans, their families, and I was an incredibly difficult decision, but ultimately the well-being of veterans and their families has to be our top priority,” said Hawley. “Amidst the spread of COVID-19, it is also very difficult to know for certain that planned destinations will be reasonably accessible. Ultimately, however, the thought of even a single veteran or one of their loved ones falling seriously ill is what caused me to have to make this difficult decision because their well-being is more important than any event.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is standing firmly opposed to legislation being taken up today in a special session of the New York State Assembly that would extend the moratorium on evictions in the state into 2022. Hawley has expressed frustration that this moratorium has been extended multiple times, even as the state government sits on the vast majority of $2.6 billion in federal funding meant to address the issue, having distributed only 10 percent of those funds to tenants and landlords in need.

“If we do not do something to help our small landlords in this crucial moment, they may well go extinct within the housing market if forced to sell their property to large conglomerates to escape crushing debts which they cannot collect rent to pay,” said Hawley. 

“More often than not small landlords are retired people with families to feed, tax and mortgage bills to pay, and properties that take time, money, and hard work to maintain. To think we would ask them to continue to absorb the brunt of this housing crisis after holding on for roughly a year and a half now is absurd, especially when incompetency in our executive branch has kept money out of the pockets of the tenants and landlords that truly need it. Had we acted with any reasonable speed or efficacy in distributing the federal assistance that’s been sat on since January, we would not need to be debating this matter now.”

Genesee County’s representatives in Albany are unified in their thinking that New York State needs to release the $2 billion in federal rent relief money it has been holding on to and that local school districts – not the governor – should have the authority to develop their own reopening plans, especially when it comes to mask wearing.

The Batavian reached out to Sen. Edward Rath (photo at right) and Assemblyman Steven Hawley (photo at left) today, seeking the Republicans' opinions on the eviction moratorium issue, mask mandates for schools, extending emergency powers to the executive branch and working with Gov. Kathy Hochul, a lifelong Western New Yorker.

ON RENT RELIEF, EVICTION MORATORIUM

“We’re talking about a lot of money across New York State to the tune of $2.7 billion, and it’s my understanding that only about 10 percent of that money has been allocated for rent relief for tenants as well as reimbursement back to the landlords,” Rath said. “That is absolutely shameful.”

He said the state “needs to get its act together” to get these funds to tenants and landlords. Currently, the process to release this money has been slow and cumbersome.

“I will do everything in my power to make sure that we have a system and a process in place to rapidly dispatch this money,” he added. “And, I know that this is a priority of Governor Hochul; I’ve heard her say it on a couple of occasions.”

The senator said that he would be willing to go back to Albany for a special session on this topic, and also to participate in “a sensible discussion” about ending the eviction moratorium.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the state’s moratorium, which is scheduled to end on Tuesday, but Rath said that Hochul and some state legislators are talking about ways to extend it once more.

He said he is “absolutely” against another extension.

“We need to start getting back to normal. All of the housing courts have been shuttered for well over a year, so there’s no opportunity for a building owner or a landlord to get any relief through the housing courts,” he said. “We have had this extended evictions moratorium for a very, very long time, and we need to bring some normalcy back to our housing and to the landlords, who have been paying their bills or struggling to pay their bills without any relief.”

Hawley blamed New York’s obsolete technology and unfair financial practices in his assessment of the rent situation.

“Well, just like everything else, money – when it involves the government, it tends to be not like the real world, necessarily,” he said. “It takes forever. We have an antiquated system in New York State for pretty much dispersing any money.”

The assemblyman said municipalities and counties have been waiting for money from the state for months on end.

Time to Stop ‘Floating’ the Money

“It’s called the ‘float’ … where an entity keeps someone else’s money and utilizes it for something else,” he offered. “So, good luck to the governor in terms of getting the money out to where it should be. Frankly, I have great deal of concern for those folks – landlords across the state who haven’t had any rent coming in.”

Hawley brought up another point of contention: The inability of employers to fill open positions.

“There are folks who could be going back to work,” he said. “We have signs up and down Main Streets all across State of New York; I’m taking pictures of them, in fact, showing ‘Help Wanted,’ ‘Apply Within,’ ‘Apply Online.’ ‘Apply by calling a number.’

“What happens, unfortunately, is that people are receiving money from the government in many cases – whether it’s for unemployment or other reasons, and they’re not willing to go to work. This, basically, allows folks … to receive something for nothing.”

He noted that landlords are in difficult straits.

“It has been well over a year since many of them have had any cashflow coming in themselves -- whether they’re a retired person who decided to buy a property and lease it out or someone … who has a business and depends on that for their living, and they’re working,” he said. “We need to get people back to work. There are plenty of jobs out there and we have got to stop sending money for people not to work.”

He agreed with Rath that the state has to simplify the process so tenants will be able to complete the paperwork to access the federal funds, but he stopped short of saying that it’s the property owners’ responsibility.

“There are landlords that could assist with that, but we’ve also got Social Services in each county, Office for the Aging, Cooperative Extension, churches that might be able to help folks fill those out,” he said.

ON MASK MANDATES IN SCHOOLS

Gov. Hochul, entering her second week in office, has made it clear that she wants a universal mask mandate where everyone must wear masks inside school buildings.

This is what she said on Thursday:

“So, we’re going to have a mask mandate. Get used to it, my friends! I’m going to make sure that that environment for school is safe for our children, teachers, and administrators, so that’s why we’re going to have that across the state of New York.”

In the eyes of Rath and Hawley, that is not the best way to proceed. Both said they are not in favor of a “one size fits all” approach.

“I firmly believe that the local authorities and local school districts know what’s best and know what’s right for their school districts,” Rath said. “Albany certainly doesn’t know what is right for upstate and New York City does not know what’s right for upstate in regards to masks, vaccination and social distancing.

“Let’s empower our local school districts to come up with a strategy which is correct and appropriate for them. A rural and an agricultural school district is very different from an urban school district.”

Hawley said that he has been talking to superintendents in the area, and noted that some districts have already released their guidelines – many of them recommending, but not requiring, masks in the classrooms.

“Just three weeks ago, when the former governor was still in office, his commissioners and health department came up with a rule that said that locals should decide, that local county health departments and school districts and school boards should come up with their own plans because they know their area, their people and their percentage of positivity the best,” he said.

“Just look at the number of folks who live in New York City and the boroughs. Each of those boroughs have their uniqueness and their own response to the pandemic. Right now, oddly enough, NYC has the lowest positivity rate in the state.”

Hawley said counties should be able to decide for themselves, and that school districts reacted to what came out of Albany and we’re preparing accordingly.

“And then all of a sudden we have the new governor coming out with masks for all,” he said. “One size just does not fit all.”

ON EMERGENCY POWERS FOR GOVERNOR

Rath said he has “serious concerns” as far as reinstituting the governor’s emergency powers.

“What we saw in New York State was a unilateral approach from Governor Cuomo when he had the emergency powers, and I thought that it was inappropriate,” he said. “The state Senate and the state legislature, overall, is a co-equal branch of state government. No governor should have extended, unilateral emergency powers for decision-making, no matter if it’s a pandemic or if it’s times when we are not confronted with something like a pandemic.”

He said he would be vocal in his opposition to that for Hochul “because the Senate and the Assembly need to have a seat at the table and be a part of the decision-making process.”

Hawley said he wasn’t in a position to “guess” on whether that would happen or not, but shared that, again, “we don’t need a singular individual making up rules, regulations and mandates across the state …”

ON WORKING WITH GOV. HOCHUL

Both legislators said Western New York and the Finger Lakes Region should benefit from Hochul’s ascension to governor, but will be sure to remind her of this area’s needs and priorities.

“Kathy has represented this area as a county clerk, certainly as a member of the Hamburg Town Board as well as in Congress. So, she has a high level of awareness of our issues and our priorities,” Rath said. “She’s also going to improve the tone and tenor of our state government, there’s no question about that. The toxicity, if you will, of Governor Cuomo was really difficult to work within and we’re going to have a vast improvement there as well.”

He said Hochul knows the issues in this area, and “I’m going to be a very loud voice reminding her to prioritize what needs to be accomplished here in our communities.”

Hawley, noting that Hochul, a Democrat, represented most of his Assembly district, said he’s hopeful that she “remembers her roots, each of the restaurants and each of the churches, and the Holland Land Office and Orleans County, and remembers what it is like where we live as opposed to what it is like where folks from New York City live.”

He acknowledged that downstate lawmakers, due to the huge population they represent, tend to have more influence than others, but is hopeful that she will “do the right thing.”

“This mask mandate is not indicative of that, but we’re going to continue to work with her,” he said. “Personally, I like her, and we’ve always gotten along well together. Hopefully, she remembers that regardless of where we’re from, we’re all New Yorkers.

“We’re all residents of New York State, and we have different needs, wants and desires, and they ought to be recognized.”

Press release:

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) on the inauguration of Gov. Kathy Hochul

 “By swearing in a new governor, I remain hopeful we can use this moment as an opportunity to correct the course set by our former executive. Given her experience in local and county government, I hope that her tenure will be free of the burdensome mandates on small businesses, schools, places of worship, and other institutions which characterized her predecessor’s style of leadership and were so harmful to the people of our state.”

Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

”Impartial justice is a founding principle of our constitutional republic, and nobody should be above the law. Our public officials should be held to the highest standards possible, and by ending this impeachment investigation the speaker has denied justice to the people of this state and allowed potentially illegal acts to be swept under the rug.”

Press release from Assemblyman Steven Hawley:

“What we heard today should sicken everyone at a human level, and we cannot allow the governor to continue as our executive knowing our worst fears about his actions are true,” said Hawley. “He must resign now, and if not, we must reject his leadership resoundingly to send a message that conduct of this nature will never be acceptable, by anyone. He has abused his power in the most horrific of ways, and the time has now come for the legislative branch to assert itself and do what is right in this critical moment.”